The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

Lin Feng squatted down next to her, reached out and pressed on the back of her neck, and slowly massaged the muscles on both sides of her cervical spine with his thumb.

"Here, in the child's pose, direct your breath to the back of your neck. When you inhale, feel the breath expanding the back of your neck; when you exhale, feel the back of your neck sink down."

He Qianwen's forehead was pressed against the cushion, and her voice came out muffled. "Teacher Lin, the spot you massaged... it's so sore."

"That's normal, it's soreness. That muscle has been tense for a long time, and when it suddenly relaxes, it will feel sore and tight. Just bear with it."

He rubbed her neck with his thumb for a little while, then let go.

He Qianwen slowly sat up from the baby pose and stretched her neck. She turned her head, first to the left and then to the right, before looking up at Lin Feng.

"My neck feels so much more relaxed. I never used to feel anything in my neck when I did the child's pose."

Lin Feng smiled.

"Sister He, didn't your previous yoga teacher make any adjustments for your uneven shoulders and cervical spine problems?"

He Qianwen thought for a moment. "My previous teacher was a woman, and she taught me all the standard movements. I practiced with her for half a year, and my flexibility improved a bit, but my shoulders and neck still ached."

"Everyone's body is different, and standard movements may not be suitable for everyone." Lin Feng stood up and walked to the mat. "Next, we'll do an exercise specifically designed to relieve uneven shoulders. Stand next to me, facing the mirror."

He Qianwen stood next to him.

The two people in the mirror stood side by side. Lin Feng was more than half a head taller than her, with a straight and upright posture. The top of her head reached just below his chin. Her dark purple yoga clothes accentuated her sleek figure and graceful lines.

"Raise both arms to the sides, palms facing up," Lin Feng demonstrated.

Raise both arms to shoulder height, palms facing upwards, and draw a straight line from shoulder to fingertips.

He Qianwen did as instructed, and her left arm was noticeably longer than her right arm.

"Keep your arms still. Now lower your left shoulder, as if someone is pressing your left shoulder down to the ground, while keeping your right shoulder still."

He Qianwen's left shoulder slumped down a little. In the mirror, her left and right arms gradually became level.

But when her left shoulder slumped down, the muscles on the left side of her neck tightened noticeably, and the distance between her shoulder and ear became closer.

Lin Feng walked behind her, placed his left hand on her left shoulder, and applied steady pressure downwards.

With his right hand supporting the left side of his neck, he gently pushed his head a little to the right.

"Don't tense your neck when you lower your shoulders. Move your head and shoulders in opposite directions... shoulders down, head up."

He pressed down on her shoulder with his left hand and supported her head with his right.

He Qianwen's neck was stretched a little, and the distance between her left shoulder and ear widened again.

In the mirror, her arms became a perfectly horizontal line, and the height of her left and right shoulders was the same.

He Qianwen looked at herself in the mirror and paused for a moment.

"My shoulders... are flat now?"

"Hold this position. Close your eyes and remember what it feels like in your left and right shoulders."

He Qianwen closed her eyes.

Lin Feng's hand was still on her left shoulder, the warmth of his palm seeping through the fabric of her yoga clothes, carrying a hint of sweat.

His left shoulder trembled slightly under his palm, the muscle struggling to adapt to the new position, and a feeling of soreness spread from his shoulder and neck all the way down his back.

About half a minute later.

Raymond Lam released his grip. "Exhale, lower your arm, and open your eyes."

He Qianwen opened her eyes and stretched her shoulders in front of the mirror. She turned twice to the left and twice to the right.

Then let your arms hang naturally at your sides and look at yourself in the mirror.

My left shoulder is still a little lower than my right shoulder, but it's not as noticeable as before.

The key thing is that the muscles on both sides of my neck feel different... It's like a crack has suddenly been pried open in a place that has been tense for several years, letting in a little relaxing warmth.

"Can I do this exercise by myself every day from now on?"

"Okay! But after you finish, you must coordinate with a neck stretch on the opposite side." Lin Feng stood to her side and demonstrated a neck stretch. "Reach your left hand over your head and hold your right temple, then gently pull your head to the left. Lower your right shoulder and hold for about half a minute, that should be about it."

He Qianwen did as Lin Feng said.

When I hold my right temple with my left hand and pull my head to the left, the muscles from my right neck to my shoulder feel sore and swollen, and my shoulder blades also feel tight.

My lips twitched.

"It's so sour."

"It's normal to feel sore. That muscle has been shortened for a long time, so it will be very sore the first few times you stretch it out. Just bear with it for a while."

He Qianwen maintained her stretching posture, turning her face to look at Lin Feng, who was adjusting his demonstration movements.

He tucked his chin in, had a long, slender neck, broad, flat shoulders, and stood as upright as a poplar tree.

She stared at him for several seconds, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat. She quickly looked away and switched the stretching position to the other side.

The next pose is Warrior II.

When He Qianwen did this movement, her right knee buckled inward, and her pelvis tilted to the right.

The right thigh did not reach a position parallel to the ground, and the knee was positioned much further forward than the ankle.

Lin Feng walked to her right side and squatted down, placing one hand on the outside of her right knee.

"Align your right knee with your second toe, without turning it inward. Straighten your hips, pull your right hip bone back, and push your left hip bone forward."

After He Qianwen's position was adjusted, the muscles in her right thigh visibly tightened, and the force traveled down her thigh to her ankle, causing her core to tighten as well.

She could clearly feel her leg muscles working, the lines under the fabric were taut, and her right leg was trembling slightly uncontrollably.

"Thighs parallel to the ground. Sink a little lower."

He Qianwen gritted her teeth and sank a little lower.

My right thigh was almost parallel to the ground, and the muscles on the front were even tighter, throbbing and a feeling of soreness washing over me like a tide.

Her breathing became rapid, and she gasped for air. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks to her chin and dripping onto the yoga mat, leaving a small, dark stain.

Lin Feng stood up from her right side, walked behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, and lowered his shoulders.

"Relax your shoulders and extend your arms to the sides. Imagine someone is pulling your hands in opposite directions."

His palm cupped her shoulder, and He Qianwen's shoulder slowly sank under his palm. His arm extended to the sides a little, and her whole posture suddenly became much more relaxed.

"Hold for five breaths."

He Qianwen's right leg trembled more and more violently.

His breathing went from rapid to heavy panting, and sweat streamed down his temples, soaking the stray hairs around his ears.

Five breaths have passed. "Exhale, lower your hands, bring your legs back, and return to Mountain Pose."

He Qianwen pulled her right leg back, let her hands hang down at her sides, and exhaled a long breath; her leg was still a little weak.

"I'm so tired!" She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "I've done this before, but I've never felt this tired."

"Because when you did it before, your knees were turned inward, and the muscles on the outside of your thighs weren't engaged; you were just relying on your knees for support. Just now, I pushed your knees back into the correct position, and the muscles on the inside and outside of your thighs were activated simultaneously, which is why you feel tired." Lin Feng took an unopened bottle of mineral water from the shelf and handed it to her. "Sister He, take a few minutes to rest."

He Qianwen took the bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. As she drank, she tilted her head back, her throat bobbing gently, and her collarbone traced a soft arc below her neckline.

After finishing the drink, I screwed the cap back on and pressed the bottle against my neck. The cool water against my warm skin made me squint my eyes comfortably, and the corners of my eyes even curved up.